I recently read this excerpt from G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown series, in the story entitled 'The Sins of Prince Saradine'. I found it a very profound, and very true idea of the relationship of this world and the next.
"'Do you believe in doom?' asked the restless Prince Saradine suddenly.
No,' answered his guest. [Fr. Brown] 'I believe in Doomsday.'
The Prince turned from the window and stared at him in a singular manner, his face in shadow against the sunset.
'What do you mean?' he asked.
'I mean that we are here on the wrong side of the tapestry,' answered Fr. Brown. 'The things that happen here do not seem to mean anything; they mean something somewhere else. Somewhere else retribution will come on the real offender. Here it often seems to fall on the wrong person.'
So, according to Chesterton, all that means nothing here on earth helps complete the Heavenly tapestry. Or rather, everything that happens on this side of the tapestry affects the other side, though we can't quite make it out on this side. Can you imagine the beauty once we can see the right side of the tapestry?
